Simple DIY Crafts Using Fabric

There are tons of arts and crafts ideas floating around out there, but many of them are quite a bit more complicated than they seem. If you’re just looking for a little bit of fun, and you aren’t into large projects, then these ideas are right up your alley! These are simple projects that you should be able to finish in one night, and they won’t take $93 worth of craft supplies.

This is a great way to use up old fabric scraps around the house. Start by cutting the fabric into semi-uniform rectangles. They don’t need to be perfect, but having them about the same length will make your job easier. If you want to, feel free to hem the edges of your non-slip mat. It’s not strictly necessary, but it will make for a cleaner look.

Now take all those strips of fabric, and start pushing them through the non-slip mat. Once they’re through, tie them off with a double knot. Now do that over and over again until you’ve covered the mat. How close you have them will depend on the kind of non-slip mat you're using and how thick your fabric is, but that is literally all you do. Now you have a brand new bathroom mat!

This project works best on dark colored fabrics, like denim. Place the top layer of fabric over the cardboard. If you’re doing a shirt or dress, slide the cardboard into it to prevent any bleach from leaking through to the back. Simply decide on a design and trace it onto the fabric with the chalk. Do not skip this step! If you make a mistake with chalk, it’s not a big deal, but you don’t want to do that with bleach.

Prep a bowl of undiluted bleach. Or, if you’d prefer, try bleach gel instead, if you’re worried about drips. Get a small brush or cotton swab and start tracing out your design. You don’t want to try and rush through, but use steady strokes and reload the brush often. The fabric will soak it up quickly. Once you’ve traced the entire design, allow it to sit for about an hour. When you come back, take a close look and go back over any areas that are uneven or thinner. Once you’re happy with it, put it out in the sun to let the bleach finish its work and to get the whitest effect. Then wash, dry, and wear!

Your best option is chiffon because it’s light, flexible, and comes in a variety of colors– just like flowers! Use the paper and freehand a single flower petal and cut it out. Then trace the flower petal five or six times on the poster board to create the entire flower and cut that out. Fold the chiffon into a square that is slightly larger than your template. The number of layers you will need depends on the look you’re going for – more layers means a fluffier flower.